SURJ Families: Holiday Resources

We on the SURJ Families team have been through this time and time again. Sometimes the messages of deeply ingrained systemic racism are coming at us from our children’s schools or from our family members, and sometimes we find that they have been hanging out in our own heads all along as internalized messages of privilege and superiority.

To support all of us in disrupting, confronting, and re-framing these damaging narratives, we’ve gathered up resources from all over the web. While Thanksgiving really stands out as a colonization superstar, problematic holiday observances are a year-round issue, so we’ve included some resources for many seasons, as well as some that provide an overview of the issues. This is not an exhaustive list, but should get you started and leave plenty of room for you to learn and explore.

DiwaliTwo short videos, one animated, the other more documentary style, by Indian people talking about the origin and meaning of Diwali.The Story of DiwaliDiwali: The Festival of LightsChanukahVery basic and not limited to Chanukah, but useful and relevant:Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation: A Guide for Non-JewsKwanzaaA white person’s blog post reflecting on issues of appropriation and mis-steps when sharing in Kwanzaa celebrations: Celebrating KwanzaaRamadanMany non-Muslim white folks only hear about Islam through sensationalized and Islamaphobic media. Ramadan is one of many times around the year that your family can learn about Islam as a model for community involvement, personal reflection, and personal devotion.Read Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors and three additional books about RamadanNew York schools now have two Muslim school holidays. See what you can do to support similar issues in your communityDuring the occupation of Iraq, many non-Muslim folks joined solidarity fasts during Ramadan. Consider doing a one day fast with older children. Use the time to reflect on Islamaphobia, or the Syrian refugee crisis.Check to see if there are events in your community open to the public, particularly around Eid (the final day of Ramadan).

Black History MonthBlack History Month is a fantastic time to lift up Black History and Activism. However, dominant narratives of Black History Month can often promote commercialism, watered down history, or promote the concept that we are “post racism” in America. Additionally, Black History Month is often under attack by the far right. Here are resources:Zinn Education Project’s Black AbolitionistsMaking Black History Month Memorable (resources to share with teachers)

Whether you are celebrating with your family or helping with events in your school, daycare, church, and community spaces, try to remember the following:

Black History didn’t end with the Civil Rights Movement. Talk about more recent history including Black Lives Matter.

Black History is not all celebration. Speak honestly about slavery, segregation, Jim Crow, and ongoing white supremacist violence.

Black History is not about white people. Often lessons will veer to talk about white people. While it is important to name the actions of white people (“White people led the KKK,” for example) this is not the time to focus on white people as abolitionists, advocates, or allies.

Valentine’s DayValentine's Day is often seen as one of the most superficial and commercial holidays. Here are some ways to subvert it!

HalloweenLiberate Halloween Toolkit from Conspire for ChangeDia de los MuertosDear White People/Queridos Gringos: You Want Our Culture But You Don’t Want Us – Stop Colonizing The Day Of The DeadThe Wheel Of the YearOne of our jobs is to connect our children with cultural traditions that come from our history that can undo our attachment to white supremacist holiday narratives as well as fill the need for culture that often encourages white people to appropriate other traditions. One tool may be looking to pre-colonial European holidays. One set is the pagan Wheel of the Year that includes Solstice (Winter and Summer), Ostara (Spring Equinox), Mabon (Fall Equinox), Samhain (Halloween), and others. These celebrations are often rooted in a relationship to nature and have multi-gendered symbolism. They can be folded into existing celebrations as a way to break out of existing narratives, or to create an alternative celebration.